tayloe



(No Model.)

A. O. BUCKINS -85C. A. TAYLOR.

TRUNK CATCH.

In fo fort Ma/3mm wvfrf/esses UNiTnn STATns PATENT 'rricng ALBERT O. BUOKINS AND CHARLES A. TAYLOR, OF- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID BUCKIN S ASSIGNOR TO SAID TAYLOR.

CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,226, dated Cctober 23, 1883,

Application filed August 13, 1883. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom) it may concern:

Beit known that we, ALBERT O BUcKrNs and CHARLES A. TAYLOR, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new an d useful Improvements in Trunk-Fixtures, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of a trunk provided with catches embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a like representation of one of the trunk-catches, enlarged, and shown in detail, the relation of the parts ofthe catch to each other and to the trunk being also there represented. Fig. 3 is a section in the plane of the line :t x of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a back View of the catch.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the body of the trunk, and B the lid or cover. A strip of`1netal, c, is applied, as usual, to the lower part of the lid or cover.

C C are slats applied to the outer face of the body A.

D D are the lower parts or plates of the catches, and D Dare the upper parts or plates thereof. The plates D D are applied to the body of the trunk, and the plates D D are appliedto the top or lid, the latter plates being arranged directly over the former, as shown, the lower ends of the plates DD meeting or nearly meeting the upper ends of the plates D D when the trunk is closed. The parts D D have thereon the flanges b b, and are raised between these flanges to form spaces or recesses b b. A cross-bar, c, extends across the opening or recess b', from one lateral wall thereof to the other.

E is an independent tongue or plate passing down outsideof the bar C and into the lower part of the space or recess b', and E is a spring attached to the bar c, and resting at its free or yielding end against the inner side of the lower part of the plate E, thereby retaining the said plate in the positionshown in Fig. 3, but permitting the upper end of the said plate to be drawn out yieldingly or away from the bar c, as will hereinafter more fully appear.V To retain the `plate or tongue E in its proper position with certainty, we deem it best, though not absolutely essential, to make in it a depression or hole, d, and to make upon the plate D asmall projection or stud, d', arranged to enter the holed, thereby effectually preventing the plate or tongue E from being drawn upward out of its proper place when the trunk is locked. e is a hole or opening in the upper end of the tongue E, and e e are curved, b`eveled, or rounded shoulders above the opening e and on the under side of the plate E. This plate or tongue E may be termed a snap F is a tail-piece cast on the lower end of the plate D. This part F is adapted to overlap the outer face of the slatA C, at the upper end thereof, and is also shouldered, as shown at f f, to receive the upper corners of the said slat. The plate D is also pierced, as shown, to receive screws or other fastenings.

G is a depending tongue, hook, or catch pivoted at its upper end to the inside of the upper part of the plate D loosely enough to oscillate slightly from side to side, as will here inafter be more fully explained.. 'This hook or catch is adapted and arranged to enter the opening e as the trunk is closed, the upper end of the snap E yielding as it is struck by the said catch, and then snapping into engagement therewith, owing to the action of the spring E. To disengage the snap Efrom its hook or catch, the linger is placed upon the upper end of the snap and the latter is drawn out away from the hook or catch, provision being made, as shown at g g, to permit the snap to be manipulated in this manner. It will be perceived, however, that the hands will be engaged, so far as now appears, in holding the snaps away from their hooks or catches, and hence that the lid cannot be opened with facility by the same person.

To obviate the necessity of employing the hands for keeping the snaps and their hooks in disengagement, we have made provision for causing the hooks to move vto one sideof the openings e e as soon as the upper ends ofthe snaps are drawn away from the hooks in the manner described. This we accomplish in the example shown by so hanging and forming the hooks or catches G G that they will move or swing sufficiently to one side by the action of gravity as soon as they are released by the IOO snaps E E 5 but we desire to state that a spring may be employed, if deemed best, for the purpose of swinging the catches away from the snaps when disengagement is desired; also, in the example shown, we have m'ade provision for moving the catches out of engagement with the snaps with certainty by making the upper ends of the catches rectangular, and by eX- posing the end of short or horizontal arm thereof, as indicated at h. By this means, While one finger is employed in raising one of the snaps another finger of the same hand may be placed on the exposed end of the catch at h, for the purpose of carrying the hooked end of the catch away from the opening e, after which the snap and catch may both be released, it being understood that the hooked end of the catch, after once leaving the opening e, will remain at one side thereof, being? pressed by the snap and held awayfrom the said opening by reason of that pressure. It will be perceived that the lid of the trunk may be raised with facility when the catches do not engage the snaps. The cate/hes, how ever, will move automatically into engagement with the snaps when the lid is being closed, for the'reason that the hooked end of the catches will strike the beveled shoulders e e and be by one of them conducted to the opening e, when the snap will spring down upon the hook and engage it.

D is a tongue extending upward from the lower part of the plate D. In applying the part Dl to 'the lid or top of the trunk we push the tongue Dl up behind the metallic strip a, sittin g the latter out sufficiently for that purpose at the points where the tongues D D are located. By this means the plates D D will be very firmly secured to the trunk by employing one or more screws, i 13, as will be perceived on reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

In the example shown the plate E is the female part of the catch; but we would regard it as an equivalent construction if the hole e were transferred to the part G and the plate E made to enter the said hole.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y l. The combination, in a trunk-catch, ofthe yielding tilting plate E, applied to one of the main plates or parts, and the vibrating tongue G, applied to the other of the. main plates or parts, the plate E and tongue G being adapted for engagement with and disengagement from each other, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. A trunk-fixture liavingthereon atongue, D, in combi n ation with the strip a on a trunk, the said strip being set out to overlap the said tongue, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in a trunk-catch, ofthe plate D, having a cross-bar, c, a tail-piece or clasp, F, and shoulders ff, the tilting snap E, the spring Ef, and the vibrating tongue G, applied to the upper plate, D, and adapted and arranged for engagement with and disengagement from the snap E, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we hereunto affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT O. BUCKINS. CHARLES A. TAYLOR.

Vitnesses: f F. F. WARNER, J. B. HALrENNY. 

